The pioneer of CPVC, uPVC, PVC technologies in the plumbing industry in India has introduced measures to support the local community in the face of the pandemic. “The global pandemic hit all of us hard, but it was specifically harsh on the more vulnerable sections of society. To play our part in alleviating some of the pain, we have taken a three-pronged approach to reach out to all stakeholders- our people, our partners and our communities. In a short span of time, Ashirvad, set up a robust supply chain for sanitizers, hands-free dispensers, safety kits, and face-shields for our employees and channel partners.” emphasized Deepak Mehrotra, Managing Director, Ashirvad Pipes Pvt. Ltd. “ We felt like this was our duty towards the ecosystem that has supported us at every step over the last 50 years. It was time we gave back”

Ashirvad has always maintained a strong community connection; it was one of the founding principles of the company right from the early days when the reigns of control rested with the Poddar family. These values have been thoughtfully transitioned and carried forward by the Aliaxis group which acquired sole ownership of the company in 2018.

Internally, the company has introduced various team-building initiatives to keep morale high during the prolonged pandemic. “Building on the ‘Hum Ashirvadi’ initiative, we took a holistic approach to address all aspects of employee wellbeing through a completely digital platform. Ashirvad Care Team (ACT) consisting of Happiness Champions was formulated to extend post-COVID support to help our employees recover from the pandemic, both physically and mentally. During the deeply traumatic COVID year of 2020, we introduced a bouquet of innovative measures that were designed to offer a secure and friendly environment to our employees, to enable them to find their work-life balance; be it ‘work from home’ or office, the safety and comfort of each employee was our driving sentiment.” Radha Ramanujan, the CFO of Ashirvad quips passionately. “A case in point is a simple courtesy such as discouraging employees to send out emails over weekends, because, being a caring organization, we have tremendous respect for people’s free time” she explains.

Other inspiring initiatives by the plumbing behemoth include :

‘Wellness On The Web’ (WOW) -a digital platform enabled them to have free access to medical help, of any kind whatsoever, be it a doctor, dietician, or physio-therapist.

Our “Nurturing Lives Policy” – an initiative aimed at ensuring that all medical expenses were borne by the Organization.
Flexible work from home policies – a drive that implemented continuity of business operations while allowing for flexibility in the remote workforce.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – a thoughtful program formulated to help employees solve personal and work-related problems. These included 24/7 helplines via Video/ Audio and Chat portals, enabling all to have access to well-qualified therapists for themselves and their families.

Family Connect – A series of virtual competitions for different age groups leading to greater family participation and bonding while enhancing the family connection and bonding.